This is a part of Paul's sermon. First recorded sermon. And let
me read verse 17 once again. This is Paul speaking. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers. and exalted the people when they
dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt. I've entitled this
message, The People Exalted. Now, you might think that's kind
of a strange title, but it's what the word of God says. God
exalted the people. Now, God chose the nation of
Israel over the rest of the nations of the world, didn't he? And
he chose them over Egypt and later over the nations of Canaan.
Look in verse 19 of this message. And when he had destroyed seven
nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them
by lot. Now, as we saw a couple of weeks
ago, illustrates God's choice of his elect and his love for
his elect that's seen in Israel. Israel's given to typify that,
but not only did he choose them, the scripture says he exalted
them. And my dear friends, if I'm one
of God's elect, if you're one of God's elect, he has exalted
you. Now, somebody says, I don't feel
very exalted. I understand that. I don't either.
But if I am a believer, I am somebody that he himself has
exalted. Now, what does that look like
for God to exalt somebody like me or you? He chose our fathers
and he exalted them. Well, we have several beautiful
pictures of this in the scripture. was Joseph. Joseph was the favored
son, wasn't he? And we know Joseph is given to
illustrate the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the favored son. He had
those dreams that the sun and the stars were going to bow before
him, but he went from the depths. He went into prison when his
brothers had betrayed him and sold him as a slave to the very
highest position in the land. As a matter of fact, Pharaoh
said, when Joseph comes through, everybody bow the knee. That's how exalted he was above
his brethren. But another example I thought
of, and I'd like you to look at this, is turn with me to the
book of Esther. Esther is right before the book of Job. Job is
right before the Psalms. So Psalms, go back, Job, and
then Esther. And if you want to understand
something about when God exalts somebody, You see, when he exalts
somebody, he proves the greatness of his person in being able to
exalt somebody. It's the exalter that's really
exalted in exalting the exalted ones that he exalts. Now look
here in Esther chapter six, beginning in verse six. I'm gonna give
some background to this after I read these verses of scripture.
Esther six, verse six, so Haman came in And the king said unto
him, what shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth
to honor? What shall be done for that man
that the king delights to exalt? The same word. Now Haman thought in his heart,
to whom would the king delight to honor more than to myself?
This is for me, he thought. And Haman answered the king,
for the man whom the king delights to honor, let the royal apparel
be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse the king
rideth on, and the crown royal which is set upon his head. and
let this apparel and horse be delivered into the hand of one
of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man with
all whom the king delights to honor and bring him on horseback
through the street of the city and proclaim before him, thus
shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor. Then the king said to Haman,
Make haste and take the apparel on the horse as thou has said,
and do even so to Mordecai the Jew. Now, let me give you some
background of this. Turn to Esther 2. Let me tell you who Mordecai
the Jew is. Mordecai the Jew was the the
uncle of Esther. Who is Esther? Well, if you read
this book, Ahasuerus, Ahasuerus, however you say his name, the
king of Persia, he became angry with his wife. He wanted to parade
her in front of everybody and show how beautiful she was and
show her off, I guess, in a way that she certainly didn't approve
of. She wouldn't go out there. Her name was Vashti, and so the
men of, Persia said, listen, you need to deal with her because
if you let her get by with this, our wives are gonna be able to
despise us. You need to do something about
her. It's really quite humorous the way this thing takes place.
And so he gets rid of her and the wise men of the land say,
let's have a beauty pageant. Now this is when the Jews were
in Babylonian captivity. We're gonna have a beauty pageant.
And so the person who won was Esther. She wasn't running for
it. They were just looking for the, most beautiful women in
the land, and she was a Jew, and she was the most beautiful
person in the land, and Uhasuerus fell in love with her, and he
wanted her to be his wife, and he took her in to be his wife.
Still didn't know she was a Jew. Now, keep that in mind, and listen
to these words about Mordecai. Look in verse 21 of chapter two. In those days, while Mordecai
sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan
and Teresh, Those who kept the door was wroth and sought to
lay hands on the King Ahasuerus. This was a murder attempt, a
coup. They wanted to get rid of it. And the thing was known
to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther, the queen, and Esther
certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name. And when the
inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out therefore that
they were both, and they were therefore hanged on a tree, and
it was written in the book of the Chronicles before the king.
Now after these things, chapter three, After these things did
King Ahasuerus promote Haman, the son of Hamadathoth the Agagite,
and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes that
were with him. Now, this is the man that the
king chose to show his favor, this man named Haman. And all
the king's servants who were in the king's gate bowed and
reverenced Haman, for the king had so commanded him. But Mordecai
bowed not, nor did him reverence and this infuriated Haman. And he started a plot to destroy
all the Jews so that Mordecai would be destroyed. He didn't
know Esther was a Jew, but he said, let's get rid of all the
Jews. And that is put into place. Now look at Esther chapter five,
verse 11. And Haman told them of the glory
of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the
things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he advanced him
above the princes and servants of the king. Haman said, moreover,
yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king
unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself, and tomorrow
am I invited into her also with the king. Yet all of this availeth
me not, nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the
king's gate. I have such blessing, but as
soon as I see that man, it irritates me. I can't enjoy any of these
blessings because that man has not been put to death yet. Now
with that in mind, here's the man the king delights to honor
in chapter six. On that night, could not the
king sleep, this is Oassuarus, and he commanded to bring the
book of the records of the chronicles, and they were read before the
king, and it was found written that Mordecai had told of Dignath
and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of
the door, who sought to lay hand on King Oassuarus. And the king
said, what honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for
this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, there's
nothing done for him. And the king said, who is in the court?
Now Haman was coming to the outward court of the king's house to
speak to the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he'd prepared
for him. Remember it was 50 cubits high.
He was gonna have him hanged. And the king's servant said unto
him, behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said,
let him come in. So Haman came in and the king
said unto him, what should be done unto the man whom the king
delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart,
to whom would the king delight to honor more than myself? And
Haman answered the king, for a man whom the king delights
to honor, let the royal apparel be brought. which the king uses
to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown
roll which is set upon his head. And let this apparel and horse
be delivered into the hand of one of the king's most noble
princes, that they may array the man whom the king delighteth
to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city,
and proclaim before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom
the king delights to honor, who the king exalts. He's dressed
with the very robes of the king. the righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Then the king said to Haman,
make haste and take the apparel and the horse, as thou said,
and do even so to Mordecai the Jew. You got to love the irony
of that. But who the king delights to
honor, who God is pleased to exalt, oh, he's given the royal robes of
righteousness. the righteousness of Jesus Christ
and lifted up. Now, this people that were exalted
were a sinful people, Jacob and his 12 sons. And when he brought
them out, look back our text in Acts chapter 13, after he brought them out of
Egypt, verse 18 says, about the time of 40 years, suffered he
their manners in the wilderness. I think that's an interesting
way to put that. They were the most unbelieving, wicked bunch
of people. As soon as they're delivered,
they make a golden calf, worship it. It's just a story of their
murmuring and complaining and unbelief and just a wicked attitude
with regard to the gospel. They were a very wicked people
that God thus exalted. Now, my question is, Why did
he exalt them? And how did he exalt them? And
understand this, if you're one of his chosen, if you're somebody
for whom Christ died, he's exalted you. He has exalted you. Now the question is how? And
the question is why? And if we learn the answer to
that question, we can learn how the God of glory can actually
exalt sinful people like me and you. And I'll tell you what,
I'm interested in being exalted by Him, aren't you? And I realize
that there's nothing about me that deserves being exalted.
I realize that very acutely, but I'm still very interested
in this thing of the God of glory, the living God, the eternal God
exalting me, and I know it's for Christ's sake. Now, the word
exalt, means to lift up, to elevate, to raise to honor, dignity, and
happiness. Now there isn't anybody in this
room who's not interested in that. Four times in the book of John,
the gospel of John, this word exalt is translated lift up. And every time it's translated
lift up, it has something to do with the lifting up of the
Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. John chapter three, verse 16,
or verse 15, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. You know, that serpent in the
wilderness was lifted up. It was exalted. Everybody saw
that the only way they could be healed is through the serpent
what the serpent represented. They saw that. As Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be
lifted up. That whosoever believeth on him
should not perish, but have eternal life. Turn to John chapter eight. Verse 28, then said Jesus unto
them, when you have lifted up the son of man, then shall you
know that I am. Now he's talking about his crucifixion,
him being lifted up between heaven and the earth on a cross. And he said, when I'm lifted
up, Then shall you know that I am. The only way you can know
his isness is through his lifting up and his crucifixion. Look
in John chapter 12, verse 32. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, What's he gonna do? Will draw all men unto me. Now, notice the men is in italics.
I will draw thee all, all of God's elect, all those for whom
I'm dying. There is a irresistible power
in the lifting up of the Lord Jesus Christ, if you see it.
Look what he goes on to say, verse 33. This he said signifying
what death he should die. So we see the lifting up of the
Christ on the cross is about his death on Calvary's tree.
Verse 34, then answered, the people answered him, we've heard.
Out of the law of the Christ abideth forever. What's this
thing you're saying about death? How sayest thou the Son of Man
shall be lifted up? Who is the Son of Man? They thought,
well, the Christ is going to come and establish a kingdom,
a political kingdom, and we're going to be top dog. He's not
going to come here and be crucified and die. What are you talking
about? That question is answered, who
is the son of man? That question is answered by
seeing what this thing of him lifting up on Calvary's tree
is all about. Peter said, the God of our fathers
hath raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree, him
hath God exalted. Lifted up, raised to honor, and
dignity, him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince
and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel. Well, I want him to
give me that, don't you? And the forgiveness of sins,
that's his gift. And he has been lifted up and
exalted to give to Israel. And Israel is not just the nation
of Israel. Israel is the true Israel of
God, the elect of God. physical Israel represents is
the true Israel, the elect of God. Now, think about this. The most evil thing by far to ever take place. When men were allowed to do what
they wanted to do to the Son of God. Now, everything they
did was appointed by God for them to do. He was in complete
control of it, but he, as it were, left men to themselves,
and what did they do? They murdered the Son of God. They hated him so much, they
wanted to nail him to a tree. Their universal hiss was, we'll
not have this man reign over us. We'll not do it. And beloved,
that's me and you. Don't think it's not. If God
left you to yourself, you would have been right in the midst,
same as me. It's the most evil event to ever
take place. The murder, the brutal, violent
murder of the Son of God because men hated him so bad. Now, would you agree with me?
There's been nothing, doesn't matter whether you agree or not,
but still, it's true. There's never been a more wicked
thing take place than the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's never been a more glorious
thing take place than the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh,
how this lifts him up and glorifies him and raises him to dignity
and to honor. I love what Paul said in Philippians
2. He became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore? God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus, every knee's gonna bow. And the things in
heaven, things in earth, things under the earth, and that every
tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. to the glory
of God the Father. Why? Because he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death. And oh, that I might be enabled
by the Spirit of God to speak upon the most glorious subject
that could ever be dealt with. The lifting up, the exalting,
the crucifying, of the Lord Jesus Christ. The lifting up of Christ on the
cross, first of all, and this is so important for us to get
this down in our minds and our hearts and rejoice in it and
glory in it and revel in it. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ
is the eternal purpose of God. Revelation chapter 13, verse
eight, Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. In eternity past, when there
was no time, No space, no matter. All there was was God in the
Trinity of His sacred persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ was the Lamb slain then. This is God's eternal purpose. Christ coming and dying on the
cross. That is God's eternal purpose. The lamb, having been slain,
it's actually in the perfect tense, perfectly completed, never
to be repeated. Now he would come in time to
be slain and he would lay three days dead and be raised from
the dead, but in the eternal purpose of God, this was completed
before it ever took place. You see, when God's will, when
God wills something, it's already done and it's already completed
before it's done because he willed it. That's how supreme his will
is. Christ lifted up on the cross
is the most God-like thing God ever did to glorify himself. And let me tell you this, if
he exalts you, he's gonna exalt you because of this. No other
reason. This is what we're going to be
singing of in eternity future. Worthy is the lamb that was slain
to receive honor and glory and riches and power. That was the
subject before time. He's going to be the subject
after time. The lamb slain. Now in the lifting
up of Christ on the cross, in the exalting, the raising to
dignity and honor. And that's what the cross is.
In the lifting up of Christ on the cross, we have the revelation
of the full character of God. There is no knowing God apart
from the cross of Jesus Christ. And the cross is for God to manifest
the glory of every single attribute that belongs to Him. That's why
I'm saying the cross is the most God-like thing God ever did.
In the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, God tells us exactly
who He is. He's sovereign. His purpose is always done. The cross is a manifestation
of that. You think of His love revealed in the cross. His wisdom
in making a way to be just and justify somebody like me or you.
Don't miss the glory of this thing of being justified. You
know what being justified means? It means you've never sinned.
For God to make it to where you've never sinned, what a glorious
thing. putting away your sin. What holiness in judging your
sin. What absolute justice. What grace. What immutability. The Lamb slain
is always the Lamb slain. He never changes in His character.
That's the way God always views His people. In the Lamb slain. This is the full revelation of
the character of God Almighty. God makes himself known in the
cross. The lifting up, the exaltation
of Christ on the cross is the ultimate act of obedience. The father said to his son, let
them nail you to a cross. He said, yes, father. There's never been obedience
like his obedience. He became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross. The lifting up of Christ, the
exalting of Christ, the crucifixion of Christ is the greatest act
of love that there has ever been. Nothing can compare to this.
You think of the love he demonstrated to his father. He would rather
die than let his father's law go dishonored because of the
love that he had to his father. Everything he did, including
going to the cross, was from love to his father. That's why. What about the love he demonstrated
to his people? He went to the cross because
of the love he had for his people. He was willing to suffer the
full equivalent of hell in the place of his people because he
loved them. Having loved his own. Listen, if you're a believer,
you personally There's nothing generic about this. He wasn't
hoping somebody ended up believing on him. You personally were on
his heart to put away your sin and bear your punishment. There's
never been an act of love like this. How he is exalted in this. The cross, I think of Hebrews chapter 12
verse 2, looking unto Jesus who for the joy that was set before
him. What joy? The joy of doing his
father's will, the joy of glorifying his father, the joy of saving
me. the joy of saving everybody he
was dying for. He endured the cross, despising
the shame, not even thinking it was worthy to think about
because of the joy that was set before him. He sat down at the
right hand of God. The exaltation, the lifting up
of Christ on the cross is the greatest act of faith that there
has ever been. Now, me and you, When things
start going wrong, the first thing we do is start doubting
God, questioning God. Why does he let this happen?
Why does he let that happen? He must not love me. He must
have cast me off. All the different things and emotions that go through
our mind. I must not be saved. I must be
this. I must be that. And our faith
is always mixed with so much unbelief, so much doubting of
God. It's horrible, but it's true. It's true. That's me and
you. When he was hanging on Calvary's tree in such physical pain, he had
much more spiritual pain. He never had anything but a feeling
of God's disproval, wrath, no smile from his father, no
comfort. He was forsaken by God. He was forsaken. God turned his back on him, and
he never quit believing God. He said, though he slay me, yet
will I trust him. I think of him saying, Father,
Into thy hands I commend my spirit. What faith, he never, never didn't
believe his father. Now I'm gonna, somebody's gonna
have to believe God perfectly. Me and you, we're excluded from
that, but not him. He believed God perfectly. And that's the
faith I'm justified by. justified by the faith of Christ. Not simply justified by faith
in Christ. Scripture says being justified
by the faith of Christ. His perfect faith is the way
we're saved. Now the lifting up, the exaltation
of Christ on the cross is, now listen to this statement. You've
heard me say it probably who knows how many times, but I still
love to say this. The lifting up, the crucifixion,
the exalting of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree is the
complete, don't miss that word, is the complete salvation of
everybody he died for. Hebrews 10, 14, by what offering
he hath perfected Forever. Them that are sanctified. John
19.30, he said, it is finished. Nothing left undone. Nothing
left unfinished. Nothing left incomplete. No loose
ends. It, what is finished? the complete
salvation of everybody he died for. The complete justification, the
complete reconciliation, the complete sanctification of all
for whom he died. Now this is the only ground of
our salvation and the only ground of our assurance. Who is he that
condemneth? It's Christ that died. I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. I hope we never lose the thrill
of hearing how it's through his lifting up, his exaltation on
the cross that God's made a way to be just. absolutely just and
justify somebody like me or you. Isn't that thrilling? Oh my. I love to think of the Lord giving
the parable of the Pharisee and the publican and him saying concerning
that publican, I say unto you, That man, who
by his own confession was nothing but sin, God be merciful to me,
the sinner, Christ said, I say unto you, if that man went down
to his house, justified. Now if you're justified, that
means you never sinned. That means you kept God's law
perfectly. That means God's justice demands
your salvation. what glory the Lord achieved
on Calvary's tree. And let me say this about this
message. This is the only message to be
preached. Do you believe that? This is
the only message to be preached. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians
chapter two, verse two. I determined not to know anything
among you, save Jesus Christ. and Him crucified. I've determined
not to esteem anything as even worth talking about, save Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. Now, it takes the whole Bible
to tell that message, but all the Bible is contained in that
one message, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the message
of Scripture. I love the way the writer to
the Hebrews called Christ the new and living way. And that word new is literally
freshly slaughtered. I don't even know how to comment
on that other than the blood of Christ is never old to the
Father. How many times have I committed the same sin over and over and
over and over again? Do you know that because of the
power and the vitality and the freshness and the newness of
the blood of Christ, I'm always viewed that way in the Father.
By the Father in the Son. Powerful. Accepted. Perfect. Holy. Righteous. Without blame. Without fault. Because that blood is always
freshly slaughtered. I want to say that was with as
much reverence as I know how. Now, in closing, somebody says, well, what about
us being exalted? You entitled the message, the
people exalted. Well, I hope you figured it out
by now. Your exaltation is being in him. That's it. But in Christ's exaltation,
in him being lifted up, he had to humble himself. Being found in the fashion of
a man, he humbled himself. For him to be exalted, he humbled
himself. One of the glorious traits of
our Lord Jesus is his humility. his glorious humility, he humbled
himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the
cross. Wherefore, God hath also highly
exalted him. Now, he hath put down the mighty
in their seats and exalted them of low degree. As Christ humbled
himself to be exalted, so do those he exalts. Matthew chapter 23, verse 12
says, he that's greatest among you shall be your servant, and
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 14, 11, the Lord said, take
not the highest seat, but the lowest seat, And he gives the
same reason, anyone who exalts himself, they're gonna be abased. But he that humbles himself and
takes the lowest feet, he shall be exalted. And then there's
the proud Pharisee. Lord, I thank thee that I'm not
as others are. And he goes on to brag about
all the things God had enabled him to do. Talked about his changed
life and how good he was and so on. And then there was the
publican. who smote on his breast, saying, God, be propitious. Do something about my sin. I
can't do anything about it. God, be propitious to me, the
sinner. The Lord said, I say unto you,
this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other,
for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased. And he that humbles himself takes
the lowest seat, claims nothing of himself but sin, who so humbles
himself shall be exalted. How are the people exalted? Well,
Paul put it this way. I am crucified with Christ. When he's exalted, I'm exalted. I was raised with Christ. When
he was raised to this exaltation, I was too. And listen to this
scripture. Ephesians 2.6 says he has made
us sit together with him in heavenly places. How high is Christ? How exalted is Christ? That is
how high and exalted every believer is in the person of Him whom
they are united to. That's how high. Don't look at
yourself, if you're a believer, in any other way but in Him. And your exaltation is in Him. 1 John 4, 17 says, as He is, How is he? How is he? How highly exalted is he? Now,
I don't need to tell you you're not as highly exalted as him
because he's the son, but you're as highly exalted as him in the
son. I mean, there's only one only
begotten and well-beloved son, but there's a whole lot of other
sons who are exalted in him. As he is, so are we in this world. exalted. Let's pray together.